Heliconias
From TejasTropicals Articles
A genus of over 200 species of small, medium, and some very large tropical perennials mostly from South and Central America. Heliconias grow in clumps with underground rhizomes. Some clumps are quite restrained while others are aggressive. The stem and leaf structure can be cannoid (grows like a canna), musoid (like a banana), or zingiberoid (like a ginger) in appearance.
The inflorescences are all terminal and are either erect or pendant. The bracts are generally boat shaped and are every color and combination imaginable. The bracts are arranged in a spiral around the stem or on opposite sides of the same plane. Most bloom from year around, but some are specific season bloomers.
Heliconias usually grow in openings within the forest, requiring partial sun to bloom or are understory plants requiring more shade to do well. All Heliconias are lovers of rich, well drained soil, abundant moisture, and are heavy feeders. None with the exception of H. schiedeana can survive outside below zone 9. H. schiedeana comes back from rhizomes in the ground after a freeze but will not bloom the following year. This is due to many Heliconias blooming on 1 year old stems. Once a stem blooms it dies back so it’s best to remove them once flowers fade to maintain appearance and health.
We are trialing many of the small to medium Heliconias for pot culture. We have had good success growing them as patio and container garden plants. They are easier to move into a greenhouse or indoors for the cold months. The species that require shade do very well indoors with some extra humidity. Some species that have worked well include acuminata, angusta, psittacorum, stricta, rostrata ‘Dwarf’, berryi, hirsute, richardiana, thomasiana, tortuosa, and vaginalis.
The visual appeal of Heliconias is unrivaled. They are the royalty of the tropical world. No plant says ‘tropical’ like a well grown H. stricta ‘Sharonii’ with deep green leaves and a red midrib with red undersides glowing in the sunlight and topped off with a red lobster claw shaped flower with lemon yellow margins. Wow! I’m in heaven.